Rodelinda stands or falls with its leading lady, who sings more than a quarter of its twenty-odd arias. Act IRodelinda mourns the supposed death of Bertarido. The point about power breeding violence is forcefully made (Guardian).
The roles of Bertarido and Unulfo were portrayed by countertenors Iestyn Davies and Anthony Roth Costanzo respectively. Bertarido, in his cell, receives his package. With the assistance of Unolfo, Bertarido escapes from prison, kills Garibaldo, pardons Grimoaldo and is restored to the throne. Stream songs including "Rodelinda, HWV 19 (Selections): Ouverture", "Rodelinda, HWV 19 (Selections): Ho perduto il caro sposo" and more. Though Rodelinda will pass through grief, misery and fury, her fidelity to Bertarido's memory is inflexible and defines her every action until their joyous reunion. Burney had never seen the operashe knew them only from the scoresand he writes of them as if they had no plots, ascribing the airs or songs to their first singers, not to the characters. Rather than asking for Garibaldo's head, she has a shocking request that's actually a sort of test for Grimoaldo. Jones, as so often, tellingly deploys cinematic allusions. The action takes place in the 7th century. Meanwhile, Garibaldo urges Grimoaldo to execute the prisoner without delay whether or not he is Bertarido. Longing for a simpler life, he settles down to sleep. Music will calm thee (Anonymous, set by Georg Friedrich Hndel) (The LiederNet Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mlodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)", International Music Score Library Project, Agrippina condotta a morire or Dunque sar pur vero, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rodelinda_(opera)&oldid=1083533714, Operas based on works by Pierre Corneille, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with International Music Score Library Project links, Articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 April 2022, at 09:11. Operas | Unulfo asks Garibaldo how he could give a king such appalling advice, and Garibaldo expounds his Macchiavellian perspective on the use of power. The ENO production was premired in 2014. Garibaldo enters with an ultimatum for Rodelinda: either she agrees to marry Grimoaldo, or her son will be put to death. Garibaldo enters and offers Rodelinda an ultimatum; either she agrees to marry Grimoaldo or Flavio will be killed. Horace Walpole wrote of Cuzzoni in Rodelinda: She was short and squat, with a doughy cross face, but fine complexion; was not a good actress; dressed ill; and was silly and fantastical. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Eduige then turns her bitterness on Rodelinda, pointing out Rodelinda's sudden decision to betray her husband's memory and marry his usurper. Search | Eduige gives Unulfo a key to rescue the imprisoned Bertarido while Garibaldo, bad to the very end, urges Grimoaldo to kill him. The role of Grimoaldo was portrayed by tenor Paul Appelby. He renounces the throne of Milan, yielding the kingdom to Bertarido, and all is well as the opera ends. She agrees to tell Rodelinda that her husband is still alive. The usurper Grimoaldo enters, declaring a long-hidden passion for her. Despite this, the tradition of male only vocal ensembles lives on even today in some traditional churches. The following year his Rinaldo, the first Italian opera composed for London, was heard at the Queens Theatreand brought the composer the same kind of success that he had enjoyed in Venice a little more than a year earlier with Agrippina. Meanwhile, Bertarido returns to Milan in disguise with the help of his friend, Unulfo. She rejects his proposal and rounds on him instead. Ho perduto il caro sposo, she sings, voicing the tragedy that is the central fact of her life as she sits alone and weeping in the palace. Alone, Rodelinda mourns the loss of her husband. There was simply too much going on. About | Garibaldo appears and, seizing his chance, attempts to kill Grimoaldo; but Bertarido steps forward from his hiding place and kills Garibaldo. Grimoaldo, horrified, refuses. The supporting roles of Eduige and Garibaldo were performed by mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and bass-baritone Adam Plachentka. He contemplates the monument which has been erected to his memory, and wonders what has happened to Rodelinda. She cannot be a usurpers wife and the mother of the lawful king at the same time. They had to compete with food, drink, conversation and numerous other forms of entertainment from card games to prostitution. He proposes marriage and offers her back the throne that is rightfully hers. Operas | By the end of the 1920s, this opera had been heard in many German towns and, in 1939,Rodelindareturned home, in England. The contrast in tempi and dynamic beautifully supported the singers in what can only be called. Smith College gave the U.S. premieres of Giulio Cesare in 1927 and Rodelinda in 1931, both in English translations. Eduige enters and recognizes him. Rodelinda says that before they can be married, he must kill her own son Flavio -- declaring that she can't marry Grimoaldo while the rightful heir to the throne is still alive. It was distracting and raised more questions than gave answers. Rodelinda agrees, but warns Garibaldo that she will use his head as a step to the throne. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. The spouses bid each other a last farewell (Duet: "Io t'abbraccio"). Rebuked by Unulfo for encouraging Grimoaldo to kill Flavio, Garibaldo rejects the idea of pity arguing that only through bloodshed can a usurper successfully rule. The title character alone has eight substantial arias as well as a duet. hide caption. When he sees Rodelinda, Bertarido wants to end his wifes grief by making himself known to her, but Unulfo restrains him. Finding it empty and with blood on the floor, they fear that Bertarido is dead. Husband and wife are reunited and he begs her forgiveness for ever doubting her constancy. Before long, Grimoaldo's unscrupulous henchman Garibaldo turns up. Listen to Handel: Rodelinda - Selected Arias by Richard Bonynge & Sydney Lyric Orchestra on Apple Music. Grimoaldo offers her marriage. Unulfo assures Bertarido that Rodelinda remains faithful to him and that the time has come for him to reveal his identity. So when the cell door opens, he attacks with the sword -- wounding Unulfo, but not killing him. There have been many radical and memorable Handel productions in Britain over recent decades, though none of them has been by Richard Jones. Here was an artist in his element, ready to push the boundaries of what he could do within the confines of a 300-year old score. Our website has been optimized for viewing in the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Bertarido enters, in disguise. He has now returned in disguise, having circulated a false report of his own death. They omitted eight of Salvis scenes and reduced the recitatives by more than half and the number of arias from 34 to 28. The conflict becomes more chamber-like, the characters more complex and contradictory. The usurper enters, tormented by his crimes and longing for a simpler life. Grimoaldo tells Garibaldo not to worry about Rodelinda's threat; under the king's protection, what does he have to fear? Unulfo appears but is unable to comfort his friend, the devastated Bertarido. Her voice does not straightforwardly repeat the melody of the opening ritornello, but varies it. Once Rodelinda departs, Garibaldo encourages Grimoaldo to carry out the murder and take Rodelinda as his wife, but Grimoaldo again refuses. As a recording project we get a remarkably complete view of Rodelinda, even Unolfo gets all three of his arias.The result has a luxury of length (three acts of 68 minutes, 66 minutes and 65minutes) which, whilst not approaching Giulio Cesare, is certainly more suitable to home listening than the modern opera house.Handel and Haym's changes mean that the title role is most definitely the . Bertarido and Unulfo hide. Seldom has Handel's inexhaustible imagination seemed as miraculous as in "Rodelinda," written in three sizable acts. Unulfo realizes that Garibaldo will betray Grimoaldo as readily as he did Bertarido, and that Rodelinda is, in fact, true to her husband. Unfortunately during Ombra piante urne funeste, a much slower aria just before her Morrai, she experienced several intonation issues and was notably flat at the cadenza. Eduige tells Grimoaldo that he has become treacherous now that he is king; he answers that he is treacherous for the sake of justice, referring to the fact that she so often refused to marry him and now he, at Garibaldo's instigation, is rejecting her. Longing for Rodelinda, he sings the meltingly beautiful aria Dove sei, declaring that only in her presence can he find consolation for his sorrow. Handels Composition Room Furniture & Artwork, Handels Dressing Room Furniture & Artwork, Handels Music Room Furniture & Artwork, Mezzotint of Louis-Franois Roubiliac (sculptor), Portrait of Johann Christoph Pepusch (Composer), Portrait of John Gay (Writer of The Beggars Opera), Richs Glory or his Triumphant Entry into Covent-Garden, Etching, The First Guitar Hendrix Played in London, Recreating Jimi Hendrixs Home Audio Setup, Francesco Bernardi, called "Senesino" (Alto castrato). [3] In 1735 and 1736 it was also performed, with only modest success, in Hamburg at the Oper am Gnsemarkt. Garibaldo tells Eduige she has lost Grimoaldo to Rodelinda and should marry him instead. She declines, but swears that she will be revenged eventually. Bertarido stands in a pleasant landscape and gives himself over to the pathetic fallacy: natures sounds and sights mirror his own anguish. Rodelindas next pair of arias is another extraordinary example of Handels theatrical instinct. It is rare to find a voice so unified and balanced. Over the following years eight operas, one choral ode (Alexanders Feast) and the Concerti Grossi Op. Rodelinda is filled with blackmail and intrigue. Outside, in the palace garden, Bertarido tends to Unulfo's wound and vows to get even with Grimoaldo, who soon appears. Rodelinda was first performed at the King's Theatre in the Haymarket, London, on 13 February 1725. New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. A disguised Bertarido appears at his own tomb and reads the inscription. The year before, he had traveled to the continent, recruiting singers for the new company. Act IIGaribaldo tells Eduige she has lost Grimoaldo to Rodelinda and should marry him instead. But Bertarido's throne has . If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Now period instruments, and wonderful vocalists performing fantastical feats of agility and virtuosity with a maestro educated on 18th century repertoire makes for a wonderful listening experience. Grimoaldo, uninterested in the mans identity, condemns him to prison and certain death. His ally Garibaldo points out to him that matters will be helped if he breaks off his engagement to Eduige. He is about to kill Grimoaldo with his own sword when Bertarido enters and kills Garibaldo. More immediately, librettist Nicola Haym, the regular writer, stage manager, and continuo cellist of the academy, drew on a 1710 libretto by Antonio Salvi, itself based on Corneilles Pertharite, Roi des Lombards. "[17] This aria is also sometimes sung as a solo piece in English, to an unrelated text "Art thou troubled?" [1] The libretto is by Nicola Francesco Haym, based on an earlier libretto by Antonio Salvi. But, inRodelinda, the king (for all the incredibly beautiful music given to him) is a fairly ambiguous personage. He reflects upon the hollow splendour of mans ambitions in a long accompanied recitative, Pompe vane. Rodelinda, regina de' Longobardi (HWV 19) is an opera seria in three acts composed for the first Royal Academy of Music by George Frideric Handel. The role of Grimoaldo is particularly low for the tenor and Appelby seemed ill-equipped to navigate many of the lower passages at the speed Maestro Harry Bicket was moving them along. She reveals the Lombard queen's strength gradually, illuminating arias in which Rodelinda shows menfolk the courage they ought to have. Bertarido, in hiding nearby, reads the inscription on his own memorial and longs for his beloved wife Rodelinda (Aria: "Dove sei, amato bene?"). Bertarido believes Rodelinda is unfaithful. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. It is strange to think that for nearly two centuries these great works went unheardindeed, were almost unknown. Her love for Grimoaldo, whom she helped to gain the throne, now switches to hate and she plans to take her revenge. Unulfo then goes to Rodelinda and assures her that her husband still lives and soon will return to her: Ritorna, o caro gives voice to her rhapsodic joy and longing. He contemplates the monument which has been erected to his memory, and wonders what has happened to Rodelinda. It turns out she's right: Grimoaldo can't do it. In the original source Rodelinda and Cunicpert are sent into exile; in the opera she remains in Milan and becomes the central figure. Registered Charity No. The period orchestra that he brought together was a wonderful change of pace from the usual textures we hear in the more popularly performed repertoire. When the two advisors are alone, Unulfo asks Garibaldo how he could give a king such advice, and Garibaldo expounds his tyrannical perspective on the use of power (Aria: "Tirannia gliel diede il regno"). Bertarido's wife and son are left behind. She still loves Grimoaldo. Grimoaldo, realizing that Bertarido has saved his life, has a final change of heart. Garibaldo, as part of his plan to take the throne, tells Eduige that it appears she has lost her chance to become queen, and encourages her to take revenge on Grimoaldo. Garibaldo has eavesdropped on his boss' whole, tormented monologue. Composers | There is no formal close but another seamless transition into the following section, which this time is an accompanied recitative. In gratitude for saving his life, Grimoaldo restores the throne, Rodelinda and their son to Bertarido, and takes Eduige as his wife. 1 Teatralnaya ploschad (1 Theatre Square), Moscow, Russia, Bol'shaya Dmitrovka Street, 4/2, Moscow, Russia. She angrily rejects him (Aria: "L'empio rigor del fato"). The libretto is by Nicola Francesco Haym, and was based on an earlier libretto by Antonio Salvi set by Giacomo Antonio Perti in 1710. To make matters worse, a large portion of the opera takes place just there, within sight of the palace, with the aforementioned servants endlessly tending the flowers around the monument while all manner of plotting, treachery and lamentation takes place. He's talking to his friend Unulfo when Rodelinda appears with her son Flavio, and the two men hide while she kneels at the monument to her husband. Notable examples include Semele, Saul, Samson, Hercules, Theodora, and Jephtha. [8] The ENO production was revived at the Bolshoi Theatre in 2015. She angrily rejects him. Meanwhile Grimoaldo, despite being betrothed to Eduige, seeks Rodelindas love. The role of Eduige was originally meant to be a contralto, the lowest of female voice types, but Cooke, most definitely a mezzo-soprano and not a contralto, took on the challenge nonetheless. But, after faking his own death, he's now back in Milan, in disguise. They hide when they hear Rodelinda approach the tomb and give voice to her misery in the aria Ombre, piante, then are forced to listen to Garibaldo threaten her: either she marries Grimoaldo or Flavio will die. After Grimoaldo leaves, the scheming Garibaldo, his counsellor, professes love for Eduige. But it is not enough to persuade Bertarido of her fidelity when, from a hidden place, he hears her agree to marry his enemy Grimoaldo. Of Cuzzonis appearance in Rodelinda Horace Walpole said: She was short and squat, with a doughy cross face, but fine complexion; was not a good actress; dressed ill; and was silly and fantastical. In an opera like Rodelinda that runs for around three hours with roughly 30 (!) When they discover only his old clothes and fresh blood they assume he has been killed. When everyone else has gone, Bertarido and Unulfo come out from hiding. This Fridays performance starred Elza van den Heever as the titular character. Laera/Festival Della Valle D'Itria Rather than showcase his higher register through the use of clever ornamentation, it seemed as if he had hoped to compensate for this with an increase in dramatic intensity that manifested in violent thrashing through the melismatic phrases that define the role. The use of baroque recorders in conjunction with this continuo and fabulously sensitive string players kept the airy buoyancy of Hndel that so many love. Hearing someone approaching the cell door, Bertarido assumes it to be his executioner, lashes out and wounds the intruder who turns out to be Unulfo come to rescue him. Duets | His ally Garibaldo points out to him that matters will be helped if he breaks off his engagement to Eduige. Rodelinda's next pair of arias is another extraordinary example of Handel's theatrical instinct. Unulfo and Eduige explain the rescue. Unulfo urges him to refuse; Garibaldo urges him to accept. Eduige departs and Grimoaldo enters. While Unulfo goes off to fetch Rodelinda, Bertarido determines to be avenged on Grimoaldo.
Grimoaldo has defeated Bertarido in battle and usurped his throne. This conundrum brought about the birth of the roles where mezzo sopranos and sometimes even sopranos play the role of male characters. The German-born Handel, after spending some of his early career composing operas and other pieces in Italy, settled in London, where in 1711 he had brought Italian opera for the first time with his opera Rinaldo. Photo Mike Hoban, Libretto: Nicola Haym, after Antonio Salvi, First performance: 13th February 1725, King's Theatre, London. They were performed at Covent Garden or the Kings Theatre after the manner of an oratorio (according to a contemporary advertisement for Semele), but in recent years have often been staged. But when Bertarido hears Unulfo approaching, he assumes it's the executioner. Jory Vinikour played harpsichord with Kari Jane Docter, Daniel Swenberg and John Lenti on cello, archlute and baroque guitar respectively. Garibaldo, his henchman, arrives, and suggests that his patron free himself of the woman he once promised to marry, Eduige, who complicates the plot by also being Bertaridos sister. Alone, Garibaldo details his plan to use Eduige to help him take the throne for himself. She is pleased to learn that he only wants to rescue his wife and son, not regain his throne (to which she still aspires). The information that historians have today points to a very different type of experience in the opera house for those who attended in centuries past. Grimoaldo is still struggling with conscience and flees to the palace garden, hoping to find a peaceful spot where he can finally fall asleep; even shepherds, he laments, can find rest under trees and bushes, but he, a king, can find no rest anywhere. Both noir thriller and surreal black comedy, Joness version lays on the humour like heavy mascara but at its best its inspired. There were 14 performances; it was repeated on 18 December 1725, and again on 4 May 1731, a further 16 performances in all, each revival including changes and fresh material. During the B-minor largo, Ombre, piante, she approaches her husbands tomb leading her little son, with a solo flute first echoing the strings, then the vocal line (which again varies the instrumental ritornello). It grants the vocalist the liberty to actually compose a limitless number of variations that can highlight the emotional nuances of a character, showcase their own mastery over the voice and liberate the audience from what can easily become a terribly boring series of encounters with the same music being performed twice every time an aria is sung. In place of a vulnerable child used as a pawn in an adult world, we find an assertive twentysomething complicit in his mother's resistance, and transformed, by the end, into a greater monster than those around him. Proof of such clemency moves Grimoaldo to repentance: he gives Bertarido his wife, his son and his throne, and the royal lovers are reunited to general rejoicing.
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